Absolute Conviction
by Justin Tanaka-san
Summary: Continuing from the plot of "The Disassociation of Haruhi Suzumiya," the SOS-dan goes on an onsen trip that will result in a choice that Kyon and Haruhi will have to make to decide the fate of not only their friends, but the entire world. SPOILER ALERT.
1. One Languorous Afternoon

_Hi, I'm Justin Tanaka-san.I'd like to thank you for reading my fanfic! :) It may be my first one, but I want to establish myself as a strong writer here on the Fanfiction following story continues the plot after "The Disassociation of Haruhi Suzumiya." Beware of spoilers, k? Anyways, please enjoy, "Absolute Conviction."I yawned.

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It had been a relatively average day so far. Well, as average as one's day can get when close to Haruhi Suzumiya.

It was already after lunch, and I felt myself slowly become more drowsy as the day progressed. As I droned in and out of class, my eyelids began to close as the substitute teacher gave a lecture with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever... something about rhetorical devices.... My peace was not meant to be, however. As sleep began to take its hold on me, I was then harassed by the ever-animated pest behind me.

"Hey, Kyon! I had this awesome idea about what the club could do next week!"

_Geez, why do you always choose the perfect timing to bother me? Plus, how can you be so full of energy? This hot sun would make anyone lazy._

I groaned.

"Kyon! Aren't you listening to me? Geez!"

I then had the delightful experience of having my chair pulled back with such force that my head hit her desk and bounced off. In a reaction oh so familiar, I stood up and yelled,

"What was that for?"

"Are you stupid? Obviously, it was to wake you up. Honestly, you can be so sluggish at times. You should try be more like Koizumi. That's why **he's** the Vice-Chief, and you're a lowly member!"

_Like hell I'd be like him. He can be a total kissass. And frankly, I believe I have made it clear that I have no intention of becoming a Vice-Chief, Assistant, or whatnot._

I then retaliated, exclaiming,

"There are better methods of getting someone's attention, and also, we're in class right now!"

_Speaking of which..._

I facepalmed and sighed; the entire class had switched their focus from the dull teacher's lecture to the performance Haruhi and I were giving. I would definitely hear something about this from Taniguchi later.

"Uh, excuse me..." the teacher hinted for us to settle down. I profusely apologized and took my seat, and I didn't have to look back to imagine Haruhi's pouting expression at this point.

Although I continued to make a conscientious effort to maintain my focus, I slowly began to drift off to sleep again, and this time, I enjoyed a good four minutes of rest until the class was dismissed. My precious nap was disturbed once again by one of of Haruhi's cruel awakenings, this time choosing to pull the seat from underneath me.

_Dammit, Haruhi!_

_Haruhi: 2, Kyon: 0. Ugh._

Of course, despite the great pain I was now in, Haruhi wasted no time in grabbing my tie, pulling me to a standing position, and dragging me out of the classroom. By the time I was lucid, I found myself in another random, empty hallway of our school, once again being held by my tie.

_Seriously, is this extortion?!_

"So, Kyon! That annoying substitute teacher had to interrupt me before, but now I can tell you what I have planned for this weekend now!"

_I actually think that it was __**you**__ that interrupted __**his**__ class, instead. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but please, continue!_

"Oh? Lets hear it, then."

"Try to guess it! Since next week's Golden Week, I figured that we could get together and all! So, so, guess! Mmhm!"

Averting my eyes from her close, grinning face, I guessed.

"Citywide search for miscellaneous, bizarre occurrences or things? Or perhaps extraterrestrials?"

"Nope!" Still grinning.

"Uh, Koizumi or Tsuruya's got some special event planned?"

Haruhi shook her head.

_I seriously don't know! Agh...._

"...Karaoke?"

"N-o Nope!" Her smile had turned into a look of concern. "Com'on, Kyon, try harder! Don't disappoint me!"

_I don't have an obligation to do this, you know. Heck, the only reason why I'm here and not drinking some of Asahina-san's amazing tea in the clubroom is because you're holding me by my tie! Then again, why aren't we discussing this in the clubroom? And __**why**__ are you treating me like some poor child who can't solve a simple math problem?_

"Seriously, I don't really want to guess; the chances of me guessing correctly are probably low, considering you wouldn't pull me out for something you'd consider ordinary."

Haruhi thought a moment, and said,

"Fine. I'll tell you. But as punishment..."

_Great. =_=_

"That'll be a secret, for now." Winking, Haruhi then gleefully said in softer voice,

"Onsen!" (Note: Japanese term for hot springs, but commonly used to refer to the inns around them.)

"Eh?" I blinked. It wasn't nearly as crazy or bizarre as I was expecting.

"On - sen! You know, a trip to the hot springs!" Haruhi was brimming with excitement, like a little child. "Oh, and I already took the liberty of asking Tsuruya to accompany us, too! Mm-hm!"

As I was thinking to myself that Haruhi's idea wasn't that bad, after all, Haruhi exclaimed,

"So, it's a good idea, right?"

"Yeah, it's a great idea," I replied, "but why tell me first? Was there a need to drag me all the way out here just to propose your idea of a hot-spring venture?"

I could have sworn that Haruhi's face turned slightly red as she stammered, "N-n-no reason! I just wanted to make sure you were fine with it and all....."

_Huh?_ _Did she just....._

"Well, uh, I was planning for next week and all, so... are you available?"

"Yeah. I didn't really have anything planned anyways. I was expecting to stay at home and play video games with my sister, and that's really all."

Haruhi's grin reappeared.

"That's great then! Ah! We're late for club! This is your fault, Kyon! If you're last, then you receive a penalty! A penalty, I say! See you then! Hahahaha bye!" With that, Haruhi dashed off in some direction.

_Wait... what...?_

As I walked to the clubroom, several thoughts were making their way through my head. A hot-spring trip would be fun, and just the thought of being with Asahina-san and Tsuruya-san..... it was too much to handle! But Haruhi's behavior struck me as a bit odd. She seemed normal, yet there was something odd when I confronted her about asking me first. I continued to ponder, and to my dismay I then realized that I was hopelessly lost in a series of empty hallways.

....

_How the hell did she find her way back?_

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_And that's that! The first chapter's done! _

_Thanks!_


	2. Solemnity

_Since the last chapter didn't really do much besides set a time, place, etc., I decided to put up chapter 2! :) I'm not going to another update for a couple of days, though. I need to be ahead of the stories that I put up by at least 2. =P_

_The gears begin to shift in this chapter, so have fun!_

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I facepalmed. I didn't remember our school having such an expanse of empty hallways before. I had passed several people, but none of them had time to send me in the right direction.

Luckily for me, I ran into Kimidori-san, who was also walking around the abandoned hallways for one reason or another. With her help, I managed to return to mankind once more and find my way to the clubroom.

By the time I reached the room, I had come to the conclusion that Haruhi was simply being more eccentric than usual, which I had previously deemed near impossible. She was bizarre enough already. As I came closer to the door, I heard Haruhi making an announcement, most undoubtedly regarding the onsen-trip.

Just as I entered the room, Haruhi was finishing up, asking,

"So, everybody up for it? Hm?"

I noticed Tsuruya standing at the furthest side of the table from the window, nodding with her hands on her hips. Everybody seemed to be enthusiastic about the idea, including Nagato, who had put down her book and was being attentive, although it is difficult to read emotions from a supposedly emotionless humanoid alien. Asahina-san wasn't showing any signs of concern, and Koizumi.... was smiling, as usual.

"Hyahahahahahahaha!" Tsuruya laughed, "This is going to be megas-fun! Right, Mikuru?" I noticed a slight glint in her eye as she said this.

Mikuru cringed slightly. "Uh, yes! Haha..." Laughing weakly, she now had a slight expression of anxiety on her face.

I couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for her, as I could only imagine the traumatic experiences that Haruhi and Tsuruya might force her to undergo during the trip.

I apologized inside my head as I thought,

_I'm sorry, Asahina-san, but during this trip, as a man, I will make sure to enjoy all the eye-candy I can get! Ganbatte, Haruhi, Tsuruya-san! (Note: Ganbatte = Good Luck, or Go for it!)_

My mental cheering was interrupted by Koizumi, who suggested that we stay at some quality onsen that he could get everyone a discount at. No doubt that it was actually owned by his agency. We're always under scrutiny by them, aren't we?

"So it's decided then!" Haruhi declared in a grandiose manner. "Let's leave for the trip on Sunday morning, ok? We can meet up in front of the cafe where we normally meet. Tsuruya, you can meet up with Mikuru-chan earlier if you don't know where it is, 'kay?"

"Aye, aye, sir!" Tsuruya bounced.

"I will arrange for some transportation to take us to the onsen, as well, then." Koizumi added.

_Let me guess, Arakawa-san will be the chaffeur. Is Mori-san coming as well?_

"Well, that's settled then!" Haruhi gave a satisfied grin and plopped down into the chair in front of her computer.

The rest of clubtime was rather uneventful, and Koizumi challenged me to a game of Othello. Nagato continued to read her book in the corner, and Asahina-san chatted with Tsuruya-san. Haruhi, on the other hand, spent the remaining time engrossed in something on her computer. I'd notice that occasionally, she'd stop, look outside, look in my general direction, and quickly look back at the computer screen. Something **was **weird. She wasn't acting... normal. Normal for Haruhi, that is. I decided I'd ask Koizumi about it after clubtime ended.

When everybody began to leave the room, I stopped Koizumi and waited until everyone had left.

"What's the matter, Kyon-run?"

"What's with that suffix?"

"I thought it'd lighten the mood a bit, since you have such a serious face on."

"Shut up. Anyways, I wanted to ask about Haruhi. Have you noticed that she's been acting... different?"

Koizumi's eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"I can't exactly put it into words, but I just have the gut feeling she's been odd lately."

_There's no way_ _I can just say that she's been repeatedly staring at me for the past half hour. Definitely no way. Then again, why not? There's just something..._

Koizumi took a moment to stare intently at me. Feeling awkward, I averted my eyes, and Koizumi finally responded.

"Mm.. well, the number of closed spaces in the past few days has decreased. My colleagues and I attributed this to the fact that she was in lighter spirits, especially with Golden Week next week, and the onsen trip. However, we will pay further attention to her behavior if you wish us to do so. After all, if she were undergoing a radical change of some sort, a sudden whim could result in the a dramatic warp of time and space, which would pose a great problem."

"Ah, thanks."

I thought again about today. Maybe I was just being paranoid. It was possible that Haruhi was not staring at me, but something else near me. But still...

"Well, if that's all you wanted to discuss, then I shall take my leave, then." Koizumi bowed and began to walk towards the door.

"Ok, bye." As he walked through the door, I exclaimed, "Wait!" When he had paused and turned around, I asked, "I haven't seen or heard of Sasaki in a while. Has there been any news of Kyouko, or anybody related to those incidents?"_ (Author's Note: Even if you haven't read the novels, go to the Haruhi Wikia and read the plot synopses and/or character pages. It'll help a lot.) _Koizumi's slight smile disappeared and his eyes opened, and a serious look appeared on his face.

"Nothing as of late. The agency is worried; no action signifies that the Sky Canopy Dominion, Kuyouko, and the others are plotting, or simply waiting for a right moment to strike. My superiors are especially concerned for Suzumiya-san's safety.... and yours. You must be aware that anything could happen, at any time, like on that mountain." I swallowed hard. He was right; a time when everyone is relaxing would be the perfect time to strike. And this time, Mikuru or Nagato wouldn't be the only ones in danger. Kyouko was going directly after Haruhi.... and me. However, I still had my trump card. If I revealed my identity as John Smith to Haruhi.... we wouldn't have to worry anymore about anything.

"I'm amazed. I actually thought you were at ease for once."

"Hardly. Part of my job to protect Suzumiya-san is to to maintain an air of composure no matter what the circumstance. As I told you before, it is safest to keep her unaware of her powers... for now."

I turned around and looked outside.

_But you know, it's that "air of composure" that can really piss me off sometimes! Wait, what do you mean by "for now?"_

I turned around, asking "Wait, what did you mea-" but the esper had already left. Something urgent must have come up.

Left alone in the clubroom, I took a moment to process everything that was going on. I yawned and decided that it'd be best to leave it alone for now. I'd stay vigilant, but I couldn't let something like this interfere with the onsen trip coming up.

I also considered discussing matters with Nagato, but I decided not to out of sheer laziness. Considering that she had had a rough time dealing with the "flu" not too long ago, I figured she'd might not have a solution for the situation yet. Besides, with a complete guard of Koizumi's colleagues and a humanoid data interface with the SOS Dan at the onsen, I figured that things would be fine.

With that resolution, I set out, late, for home.

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_______________________For those of you who do know the plot of "The Disassociation of Haruhi Suzumiya," this fanfic advances plot B, or the second plot option in that book. =] Once again, please write a review if you want me to make any changes, add some stuff, and whatnot. =P_

_______________________Thanks for reading!_


	3. Staring at my Ceiling

_Ok, I lied about not putting another chapter up today. I am. This one's short, so I figured it be nice to end a good run with this chapter. XD_

_If you want more of something out of this fanfic, please email me, send me a PM, or write a review! It's good to get feedback. =P_

_Thanks to Viv-san and Monika for beta-ing it and helping me fix awkward language._

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The rest of the week was rather uneventful. The club met as usual, but nothing particularly interesting occurred, except Haruhi's frequent glances at me. It wasn't a hunch anymore. Something was up, and I had that strange feeling that it wouldn't turn out right.

When I had told my sister that the whole club was going to the hot springs, she insisted that she accompany us, but this time I put my foot down. There was no way she was coming with us, and I would make sure that she didn't. Call me a jerk if you may, but her presence there would totally ruin the mood of the trip.

I recalled that she had snuck into my bag in an attempt to stowaway on the trip to the island a while ago, so to prevent this from happening, I decided to take relatively drastic measures. The night before the fateful day of the trip, I not only kept the bag in my room, but I also locked the door, and put a small but secure barricade on it.

Call it ludicrous or dangerous (in the face of an emergency), but it was necessary; even **this** wouldn't stop her. I had never realized how thin my house's walls were until she began to bang on them and wail incessantly.

I tried music, and even stuck a pillow over my head (which failed. It's stuffy in there), but to no avail. Tears were running down my happy face when my parents finally managed to shut her up. Man, they came through this time.

When this ridiculous scene finally ended, I stayed awake for a while, with Koizumi's words from earlier in the week ringing again in my head.

_Why now? Ugh._

I stared at my white ceiling and thought. I thought about Haruhi and the SOS-dan. Eventually, my mind wandered to _those_ four that had been causing us problems. While thinking about the encounters I had with the mysterious Kuyou and Tachibana-san, I realized something that I hadn't paid much attention to before. The SOS-dan consisted of exactly the following: a "god" with the ability to warp space and time, an esper, a time traveler, a humanoid interface, and me. When compared to Fujiwara and those three, their group was an exact foil of ours, minus the average human, me, who has no special powers or abilities whatsoever.

I shrugged internally.

Come to think of it, Kuyou is a representative of the Sky Canopy Dominion, or something within that range, which is similar to the Data Overmind. Tachibana-san is from an opposing faction of espers, too. What's with all of these antitheses?

_What does it all mean?_

Why would Haruhi, no, the SOS-dan encounter such a bizarre situation? Heck, where do I fit into the equation? Sure, I have the ability to directly influence Haruhi, and I'm friends with Sasaki, her foil, but that doesn't answer much. There has to be something else. Something missing, that I, no, everybody doesn't know yet. The factor connecting the supposed time quake four years ago, Haruhi and Sasaki's powers, and the conflict between Asahina-san and Fujiwara. It would explain everything. Connect all the pieces.

_The pieces of the puzzle. Universal fragmentation._

The missing piece is impossible to find, though. Although we're all friends and in the same club, there are so many things being hidden. Koizumi's agency had another purpose besides defeating Shinjin. If Haruhi wanted espers, there wouldn't have had to be an agency. The agency was created independently of Haruhi's wish. Asahina-san couldn't be just an observer. The older Asahina-san would know more, but the only information I'd receive from her would be "classified this, and classified that." As for Nagato, I don't even want to consider the numerous possibilities. She's so much of a stoic sometimes it's beyond frightening.

_So many questions._

It was too much to think at once. I frowned and closed my eyes. Why did I care so much anyways? It's not like I wanted to be involved. Then again, what did I want? Being in the SOS-dan is fun, I'll admit that. If it wasn't, then I wouldn't have chosen to return to this world when Nagato gave me an alternative option.

So why? Why was it so important? It was deeper than caring for my friends, but I couldn't grasp it.

I yawned. This was too much to think about during this time of night. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day, after all.

_Guess I'll go to sleep now_.

I closed my eyes for the final time that night, and at long last, I drifted off to sleep.

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_Next chapter's a dream sequence!_

_Hope you enjoyed this short chapter. =] If you like it, favorite or set it so you get an alert when I upload chapters! I decided I'd upload on a relatively irregular schedule. (But there won't be any long intervals of time between chapter releases)._


	4. Shattered Glass Becomes Soft Snow

_Here's chapter 4. I'm just pushing them out, now, aren't I? I might end up splitting this story into more fanfics because I don't want to write 50 chapter long behemoth fanfics._

_I wrote this chapter in 3rd person, only because it was a dream and I felt it should be approached differently. If you don't like it, I'll be returning to 1st person in Chapter 5, so don't worry!_

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The young man came to with a start. He muttered inaudible words as he stood up and looked around him. Surrounded by numerous gray-toned buildings, he realized where he now was: sealed reality.

Kyon was alone. He had become accustomed to the surreal world, but still, he hesitated. The Shinjin, behemoths whose intent was only to wreak destruction upon all of existence, were nowhere to be seen. Haruhi was nowhere in sight.

Why was he here?

Taking a deep breath, Kyon relaxed. He had been in the SOS-dan for more than a year, but despite the numerous explanations and theories provided by the other members, he still could not understand his role in Haruhi's life.

What was he to her?

He could not even attempt to fathom the girl's thoughts. While she could be incredibly simple, at times her thought process could be inconceivably complex.

Kyon shook his head, and raised his head to the sky. The sky was clear, but there were no stars.

Koizumi had compared Haruhi to a divinity. But she wasn't one. She had been an ordinary girl until she entered junior high. Kyon had realized this during one of his many discussions with her in the classroom.

Continuing to ponder, the man began to walk. What else was there to do within the extensive reaches of the sealed reality? There was nowhere to go to, yet he felt that if he walked enough, he might discover the edge of this world, and fall off. Then what? Would he continue to fall for an eternity? He stopped and shook his head, and muttered again. His mind was digressing from the real issue. As he contemplated some more, he remembered, a friend with similar unworldly powers to Haruhi, and her "sealed reality." Kyouko Tachibana had brought him there once. It was pristine, extending its reaches over the entire world. In a sense, it was perfect. But why did he feel so uncomfortable in such an immaculate world? There were no flaws. Everything was constant.

Kyon hesitated again. _That was it_. Haruhi's "sealed reality" may have had many flaws, but it wasn't dull and lifeless.

Then another problem arose. If liability to change was a good thing, then what would this logic say about his relationship with Haruhi? Since the time he had discovered that Nagato was a humanoid interface and that Koizumi was an esper, he had been doing nothing but shielding Haruhi from the truth: that he was John Smith, the true identities of the SOS-dan members, and the knowledge of her own "shield" even the right word to use? Nagato had discussed this with him once. The Data Overmind was observing Haruhi and her abilities through the Humanoid Data Interfaces, and described her as an opportunity for evolution and growth.

He could have been hindering the progress of humanity, thus limiting innovation and advancement all this time.

Kyon stopped once more. He had come to the bench where Mikuru first revealed her background as a time-traveler to him. Sitting down, he once again looked up towards the heavens. A single star had appeared in the center of the sky. A peculiarity. Kyon blinked multiple times to ensure that he was seeing properly.

Suddenly, the star changed, and quickly grew into a miniscule crack in the sky. The "sealed reality" was being destroyed. But who or what was the impetus for this reaction?

The single crack branched out and became more cracks, and a cobweb of these cracks spread quickly as it spread throughout the entire black sky. Kyon sat speechless, amazed by the beauty of the spectacle. He had seen the destruction of closed space before, but this was nothing in comparison to the magnificent scene unfolding before his eyes. From the fractures in the sky above him emanated an ethereal light, which softly fell upon the entire "sealed reality."

Then, the world shattered.

Kyon, now standing, was dumbstruck as each grey building burst into myriads of snowflakes, and the world became engulfed in a torrent of white light. Blinded by the intensity of the light, he closed his eyes tightly as he felt strong winds buffet him. After the gale had ceased, the youth opened his eyes and blinked.

What had just happened?

Kyon looked around him once more, to find that not a single shred of the buildings that had only just been around him remained. He was no longer alone, however. The youth could discern another person in the far distance. He was not alone. Suddenly, he began to run desperately in the direction of the person. Why was he doing this? He could not think of a reason, yet began to run faster. He felt that if he hesitated for one moment, the person would disappear and he would be alone once more.

Now in a full sprint, his feet pounded against the white ground as he neared the individual. Kyon then realized that the person was a young woman, sitting facing away from him and holding her knees tightly to her chest.

He recognized her. Her brown hair. It was so familiar. He had seen it every single day for the past year and a half. He silently prayed that he would reach her in time. In time for what, though? As he ran closer, Kyon called out her name.

"Haruhi!"

The brown-haired girl began to turn around, slowly.

It was then, that Kyon immediately woke up, breathing heavily.

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_W00t, that's the end of the 4th chapter! Here's where I begin to make longer chapters and release less often (Every 3 days - 5 days). =] I'm going to be scrutinizing my text painstakingly so you'll get the most out of my work!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	5. Gears Begin to Shift

_Hey, sorry it's been a while since my last update. I had some school stuff to take care of, but I have a break next week so I'll be updating more regularly. :D I did have time to re-organize my thoughts as to where I wanted to go with this fanfic, and frankly, it's looking pretty good. I've got some people reading over the work and my outlines, and I'm getting pretty good feedback so far. Anyways, here's chapter 5!_

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I've had bizarre dreams before, which I firmly refuse to elaborate further on, but this last dream was unlike any other that I had ever experienced. Not that it was a nightmare, or at least anything comparable to a nightmare, but it was still abnormal.

Even as I thought about it, I could accurately remember every moment of that dream: the destruction of the sealed reality and all the things I had been pondering over. Everything after the demolition of the closed space remained a complete blur in my mind, as if there were a fuzzy caterpillar stuck in that part of my hippocampus.

Still, the overall clarity of the dream made me suspicious. The only time I was able to recall a "dream" this clearly was when Haruhi and I were alone together in sealed reality, and that wasn't even a dream.

Did this mean that what I recalled from last night wasn't a dream, but reality? I mean, as "real" as something like sealed reality can get, of course.

I shook my head slightly. It was too much to think about on a lazy Sunday morning, especially after I just woke up.

_Wait, what time is it?_

I checked the cellphone next to my bed. 7:20 AM. It was early. I might as well have woken up at sunrise. On most days, I tend to sleep in late and am either woken up by my sister's rather violent tendencies or by one of Haruhi's famous angry phone calls.

I fell backwards onto my bed and stared at the ceiling, now covered with abstract patterns of golden sunlight from my window. Letting my mind fade into a puddle of nothingness, I tried to relax for what would most likely be the last time for the next couple of days. Apparently Haruhi was going to make "slight" alterations to the agenda that most people follow at hot springs. Ping pong and what not. Deciding that I'd rather not think about it any further, I crawled out of the comfort and safety of my bed and began to gather last minute stuff to take with me on the trip.

_It wouldn't hurt to be on time, if not early, for once. Haruhi'd be surprised, for sure. As a plus, I wouldn't be the one suffering the penalty.... for once._

Remembering to take caution and not make too much noise, I slowly removed the barricade from my door. It hadn't been touched. After unlocking the door, I painstakingly made sure not to make a slightest creak in the floor. I figure that I'd look pretty stupid, like some comedic character from old cartoons or something like that, but I did not want to have to deal with my little sister, especially this early in the morning.

As I passed my sister's bedroom, I took a quick peek inside to find that she was still asleep. With a sigh of relief, I made my way to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face and took a look at myself in the mirror. Nothing unusual.

After I learned of Haruhi's capabilities, I worried that I would suddenly grow wings or change drastically in appearance due to some spontaneous whim. Thankfully, it hadn't happened yet, but you never know... after all, this is the person who could destroy the world out of mere boredom.

After brushing my teeth, I packed my toothbrush and any things I might need from my bathroom, and brought my bag downstairs.

Looking out the kitchen window, I could already tell that it would be a hot day. Even though it was only 8:15 or so, the intense heat of the sun was already beating down onto the ground. I could have sworn that the plants outside the window just shriveled slightly.

_The day I plan to be early for once, the sun comes out like this? I'm not going to let it deter me. No way._

With that resolution, I prepared a small breakfast for myself and ate in solitude, listening to the birds chirping outside and enjoying not thinking about anything in particular.

I looked at the time. I had to be at the cafe around 9:15 if I wanted to be somewhat early, so I had some time to kill.

I spent the remainder of the time I had left lying on the couch with the TV on. I wasn't really paying attention to what the reporters were saying, but I had nothing better to do. When it was around time to go, I wrote a quick note to my sister and my parents, grabbed my stuff, and headed out.

Damn, it was hot.

The moment I stepped outside I instantly began to feel sweat forming on the back of my neck. The sun was unrelenting, even on a special day like this. It wasn't even noon yet!

_Ugh. Better get to the cafe fast, otherwise I'll seriously melt._

When I finally arrived at the meeting-place, I still had around ten minutes, so I entered the cafe and took a seat where I could easily see the outside. As I stared at the window blankly, a voice asked,

"Can I help you, sir?"

I turned to see a green-haired girl smiling warmly, waiting to take my order.

"Ah, Kimidori-san. Thanks for the other day, you saved me! Ah, you're working today?"

"It was no problem, although I am not sure how you could get lost in your own school like that. Anyways, what would you like to order?"

The girl's face had the countenance of an adult who was mildly concerned for a child. I forced a slight laugh, pretending to have disregarded her last comments.

"Could I just have some iced tea? Thanks."

Kimidori-san nodded and her green hair bounced slightly as she turned and walked off to get my drink.

I looked around. The atmosphere in the cafe was relaxed, and I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool air wafting throughout the room. I inhaled deeply and opened my eyes again.

Looking at my watch, I noticed that it was almost time for everyone to convene. I checked outside again; no one was there waiting.

_Hm.. that's odd...._

I paid no mind and waited for my drink. Soon enough, Kimidori-san returned with my iced tea. I thanked her and continued to stare blankly out the window.

_Where is everyone?_

It was now 9:30, but no one was in sight. I decided to wait a bit longer, in case everyone else had already met up on the way and were slowly making their way here.

Ten minutes later, I was pissed.

_Where the hell were they?_

Was this some sort of cruel joke? No, it couldn't be. Asahina-san wouldn't have agreed to it, but then again, since when did Haruhi or Tsuruya ever pay attention to her interjections?

I grabbed my phone and began to dial Haruhi's number. Just as I was about to hit the "Send" button, I received a phone call.

Guess who? As I answered, I heard the caller take an insanely deep breath.

_Here it comes._

"YOU'RE LATE!"

_Eh? I'm right on time, though. See, I'm here. Cafe. 9:40 AM now. Sunday._

"WHERE ARE YOU? YOU'RE LATE! LATE, LATE, LATE!" She repeated the word "late" as if I had no idea what the word meant.

"What do you mean? You told everyone to meet at the cafe on Sunday at 9:30 AM!"

"We had a change of plans! We're meeting up at Tsuruya's house instead! Didn't you get the message?"

"Huh? What message?"

"Geez, you're so incompetent! I N C O M P E T E N T! Anyways, you're making everyone wait, so get over here FAST! You have 20 seconds! If you don't get here within that time, there'll be a **major** penalty for you! A major penalty, I say!"

_If I may interject... getting to Tsuruya's house from the cafe within 20 seconds is a bit unreasonable, wouldn't you.....say...._

Haruhi hung up before I could say another word. Gulping down the rest of my iced tea, I tossed some coins onto the table, grabbed my baggage, and dashed out of the cafe into the now scorching heat.

_It's friggin' hot! Dammit!_

As I ran out of the plaza, I accidentally bumped into a small girl with incredibly long, dark hair that fell past her waist. I muttered an apology and continued running before I stopped again.

_Kuyou Suou?!_

I turned around quickly and scanned the surrounding area, looking for her, but to no avail. She had disappeared. I blinked several times and shook my head. It wasn't my imagination. I had definitely just seen Kuyou Suou, the Sky Canopy Dominion's humanoid interface, and bumped into her only moments ago. But why was she here? I'd have to ask Nagato later.

My phone buzzed again.

_Shit, it's Haruhi! Forget Kuyou for now, if I don't get to Tsuruya's fast, I'll have problems of my own to deal with! Dammit!_

...............

_Wait, how do I even get to Tsuruya's house from here? Is it a left..... or a right here? GAHHH!_

_

* * *

Thanks for reading Chapter 5! I promise I'll get 6 out soon. Once again, if you have any comments or suggestions, review or just send me a PM/email!_


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